Machine for making concrete pipe.



L E. McCABE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIPE.

APPUCATION FILED FEB-311 914.

1,172,375. Patented Feb.22,19l6.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

O O O O O O O O L E. McGABE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIPE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, I914.

E w 4 m3 m r w w v t 2 E n m v Dr ZZZ:

f it? all methods and processes now LAURENCE E. MGCABE, OF VISALIA, CALIIGBNIEL MACHINE FOR- MAKING CONCRETE FIFE.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented 22,

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lamnsxcn E. MoCABn, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Visalia, in the county of Tulare and State of California, have invented and discovered a new and useful machine for making concrete pipe by means of the application of centrifugal force, and have also invented and discovered a new and useful machine or means for the application of said principle for the purpose of making said pipe, of which inventions and discoveries the following are the specifications.

These inventions and discoveries relate to the process of compressing the adherent particles of cement, aggregates and waterv in either wet or dry mix hydraulic cement concrete, of forming the same into pipe, and of removing the surplus air and water therefrom, all by means of centrifugal force, and also relate to a machine as a means for the application of said principle for the urpose of making said pipe, and said inventions and discoveries have for their object to render the process more expeditious, considerably cheaper, to make the product more dense, less impervious to Water, and to increase the tensile strength of thevproduct.

My process is a decided improvement over being used for the construction of concrete pipe. In making dry mix concrete pipe according to the most modern and improved processes now in use, the cement and aggregates are placed in forms and tamped either by hand cr-by machines to compress the cement and aggregates. This makes the density or compression very unequal and uncertain, the materials being liable to be well packed or compressed in some parts of the pipe, and loose and porous and poorly compressed in other parts thereof, which makes it necessary to put the pipe, after being molded, through an additional process, that of washing or brushing the inside wall of the pipe with a wet emulsion of cement in order to make it impervious to water, which is not completely accomplished, however, even by washing or brushing the same with cement, as stated. The most modern and satisfactory machine now in use following the tamping process and using the same, is a very large machine, weighing approximately (30,000 pounds, requiring a great amount oi power to operate,

and requiring the services of a of employees or operators.

In making wet mix concrete pipe according to the most modern and improved processes now in use, the cement, aggregates and water are poured into molds, being poured while of the consistency of an emulsion, and are permitted to stand undisturbed until they have become sufficiently set or hardened. to render it possible to remove the vterms from the pipe. This requires vast quantity of forms, both inside and. outside, for molding the pipe, and the process is necessarily very slow, and likewise expensive, besides permitting of the use of only gravity or the weight of the mixture upon itself as a means of compressing the same in the pipe, which results in a pipe containing many air pockets and air holes, and which process also requires the use of the additional operation of washing or brushing the inside wall of the pipe with a wet emulsion or solution of cement in order to render the pipe more imperniens to water. 1

By my process, applied by means of my machine, which is absolutely essential as a means of the application of said principle, the pipe is rendered compact and dense by means of the centrifugal force applied, making a concrete pipe of perfect and uniform density, perfectly true to form, of an equal thickness. and impervious to water, with the additional advantage of removing the snrlargo corps .plus water rendering casings, forms and other appliances unnecessary for support while the pipe is being cured,

My machine requires a minimum amount of help to operate, thus greatly reducing the expense of operation. lt rrnder' it practicable to cmnpletely lill all voids of the aggregates with cement and allows a surplus of cement to form a coating or lining on the inside surface of the pipe. as a result out which the pipe has an additional factor to render it moreimpervious to water as well .as making an ideal cement concrete by having all voids thoroughly lilli l and making the pipe of the greatest possible density. It has the additional advantage of allowing all air contained within the. mixture to pass out during the process of construction, rendering the pi pc free from all air pockets or air voids.

My process of construction renders it possible to pour the mixed cement and aggregates ina' very wet state into the cylinders of the machine and within the space of one minutes time from the time the machine starts to revolve, the material becomes so compressed, and the air and water removed to such an extent as to render it practicable to remove the pipe from the molds or cylinders of the machine at once, and to permit the pipe to stand without any means of sup port while being cured.

I will explain the invention with when ence to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a top plan view of the machine showing the driving apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional .view of the machine below the driving apparatus, and. showing the lower operative parts in plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line G-D Fig. 1; and Fig. i is a vertical section on the line A-B Fig. 2. v

ln'Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, 0 represents a cylinder suspended on a shaft or s indie 7r, revolved by means of power app ed to the pulley 7' by a belt '5; d represents an inside cylinder made in two or more parts or segments to be placed within the cylinder 0; a represents a cover so constructed as to mold the bell end of the pipe; f represents an inside cylinder or core to be inserted within the cylinders c and d for the purpose of properly distributing the ingredients which compose the pipe to be con- 'strucmd, and which is to be inserted and withdrawn through the center opening 6 of the cover a by means of power applied through the arrangement of bevel gears and screw 9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; g represents a casting or form placed at the bottom of the cylinder 0 for forming a spigot end of the pipe, and. for the further purpose of removing the pipe, when'formed within the cylinder 0; the high rate'of speed necessary to be attained to accomplish the results sought is aided by means of the arrangement shown at the lower end of the shaft or spindie it, the spindle being incased within a babbittcd bearing a, which is inclosed within a casting b, is regulated and prevented from acquiring an excessive gyratory motion by means of the rubber coils Z, and incased within the cylinders b and 7a, which said cylinder 7c is secured to the main floor plate m by means of bolts. The pulleys n are used as idlers for directing the belt in a change of direction to pass to and over the pulley 1 said idler pulleys a turning on the axle a, passing through and attached to the bracket 0, which is in turn fastened by means of bolts or otherwise to the plate The frame 7 represents a structure used for the purpose of carrying or supporting the headworlts, and is connected by means of bolts or otherwise to the frame supporting the plate a.

amass/c The arrangement'of brackets d, supporting the plate e, which in turn carries a rubber v cushion f, is used for the purpose of checking any excessive gyratory motion and preventing accident or damage which might be caused thereby.

The mixed 'ngredients, cement, aggregates and water, are poured within the space between the core f and cylinder d, and when the cylinders revolve at a suflicient speed the inside core 7 is withdrawn (the outside cylinders and mass being still in motion) by means of the arrangement of beveled pinions tand. u and the beveled gear 8, transmitting power through the screw 9 to the clutch p at the end of the shaft connected with the core f. The alternate raising and lowering of the screw is accomplished by means of power transmitted through the shaft 7) through the twin gears 11: and 10, which cause the gear 8 to revolve either to the right or to the left as desired by the operator; When sufficient speed has been attained and suflicient time has elapsed to compress the ingredients constituting the pipe, the cylindersare stopped and the inside casing or cylinder d, together with the pipe 6, now formed, are removed from the cylinder 0 by means of the same arrangement and power as described in the method of removing the core f, the clutch 72 being attached to a rod inserted into and. connected with the casting or form 9 and attached to the top of the inside cylinder (1, the cover a having been removed before removing the pipe and inside cylinder and form 57, as stated, from the inside of the cylinder 0.

The materials are first mixed by hand or in a power mixer, to the proper consistency, and in carrying out my process I proceed as follows: 'With the inside cylinder (1 and core f, and the cover a, and the form y, all in place, the material is poured through the opening 2) into and in the space inclosed between the cylinder (1 and core f. The cylinders are then revolved by means of power applied to the pulley j attached to the shaft or spindle h, and when sufiicient speed has been attained to hold the poured material by centrifugal force against the core (Z, the inside cylinder f is withdrawn by means of the screw 1 and the clutch p; the cylinders c and (l and their contents are then allowed to continue their rotation at a high rate of speed and when materials become sufiiciently compact and the surplus water and air removed, the cylinders are stopped, the cover a removed, and a rod inserted into and connected' to the casting or form g7, and then, by means of the screw 9 and the clutch p, the inside cylinder 1 and the completed pipe 0, together with the rod and the bottom casting or form g, are removed from the cylinder c. The inside cylinder cl is then removed from the completed pipe e and the When f. i. gear 15 is in mesh with s the screw 9 can, be raised; when gear u is in mesh with ,s the screw 0 can be lowered. When both it and t are out of mesh the screw will be idle.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making hydraulic cement concrete pipe comprising a vertically disposed mold open atits upper end, and means for rotating said mold at high speed, a removable former in the lower end of said mold, a removable core within the .mold above the former adapted to shape the interior of the pipe, and means for withdrawing the former together with the formed pipe after the set.

2. An apparatus for, making either wet or dry mix hydraulic cement concrete pipe,-

comprising a verticall y disposed mold open pipe has sutficiently .at its upper end, means for rotating said mold at high speed, a removable lining within the mold, a removable former in the lower end of said mold, a removable core within the mold above the former adapted to shape the interior of the pipe, and means for withdrawing the core after the pipe has been formed, and for withdrawing the former and the formed pipe after the latter has sutliciently set.

- In a machine for making concrete pipe the combination of a. rotatable spindle or support, a vertically disposed tubula mold mounted thereon open at its upper end, a removable core adapted to be inserted in the said mold to form a molding space between its outer wall and the inner wall of the mold, a socket shaping member removably attached to the upper end of the mold, means for rotating said mold and contained parts at high speed, and means for Withdrawing the core from the mold, and for removing the molded pipe from the mold.

4. In a machine for molding tubular pipe the combination of a rotatable spindle, means for rotating said spindle athigh speed, a tubular mold mounted upon the upper end of said spindle and rotated thereby. a cylinder adapted to fit within the mold, a former or pipe suppo' within the lower end oi said mold, and a core adapted to be inserted within said cylinder to form a molding" space between the outer wall of said core and the said cylinder, means for removing the core, and means for removing the cylinder'with the molded pipe, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for making concrete pipe the combination of a rotatable spindle or support, a vertically disposed tubular mold mounted thereon open at its upper end, a removable former in the bottom of said mold, a removable core within the said mold adapted to form a molding space between its outer wall and the inner Wall of the mold, and a socket shaping mold member removably attached to'the upper end of the mold,

means for rotating said moldg'and contained parts at high speed," and means for withdrawing the core fromthe mold and for withdrawing the former and pipe from the mold.

6. In a machine for molding tubular pipe the combination of a rotatable spindle, means for rotating said spindle at high speed, a tubular mold mounted upon the upper end of said spindle androtated thereby, a cylinder adaptedto fit Within the mold, a socket forming casting removably mounted on the upper end of said mold, a removable former or pipe support Within the lower r end of said cylinder, a cylindric core adapted to be inserted within said cylinders and form an annular molding space between the outer wall of said core and the cylinder,

means for removing the core, and means for removing the former and cylinder with the molded pipe, substantially as described.

. L. E. MCCABE.

Witnesses: I

R. S. NIcKEnsoN, CALLA. LARKINS. 

